Holding on to you
by mystic664
Summary: Reid has a daughter and has to figure out what he can do to help her cope with her past.
1. Chapter 1

Before the car had even stopped, Spencer jumped out.

 _No. No. No!_

Morgan was there to keep him from going past the police tape.

"Reid," he said," you don't want to see it."

"Derek let me go! What happened?!"

"They're calling it a botched robbery," Morgan said," I'm sorry."

Across from them, a man was being shoved into a police car.

"Is that him? I'm gonna kick his ass!"

"No! Not in front of Elizabeth! She needs you right now," Morgan said," she's already lost, one parent. Don't make her lose you too."

Morgan guided him away from the scene and led Reid to an ambulance, where his daughter was being cared for. JJ was there holding her hand.

"Daddy," she cried.

"It's okay baby, I'm here," Reid sighed.

Reid noticed that she was staring at the police car.

"Don't look at him. Look at me," Reid said," I got you."

Reid wrapped her into a hug and they both cried over what they had lost.

* * *

 _Ten years later_

Elizabeth went into the kitchen and was surprised to see her dad waiting for her.

"Penelope usually calls when you're coming home," she said.

"It was two in the morning," Reid said," I didn't want her to wake you."

"I didn't get much sleep anyway," she said," I realized that it was ten years ago today that we lost mom."

"I know," Reid said, quietly," do you want me to walk you to school so we can talk about it?"

"Sure," Elizabeth said.

They walked to school and Reid started talking to her.

"What do you remember about mom?"

"She always had this confidence that everything would turn out okay," I remember when we knew you were coming, I was a nervous wreck. I was still nineteen, and I didn't know if I would be able to provide for a family, but she just sat me down and said,' Spencer, you have three PhDs. You'll find a job.'"

Elizabeth had a sad smile on her face.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," Elizabeth said," it's just, my only memory of mom is how she died."

"Tell you what," her dad said," tonight, we'll sit down, and you can ask me whatever question you want about her. Nothing is off the table."

They turned the corner and came to the school.

"Bye dad," she said," I'll see you tonight."

"I love you," he said," if I don't have a case, I'll pick you up from school."

Elizabeth's school day was fairly normal, until lunch, when she received a phone call.

"Hello?"

"Is this Elizabeth Reid?"

"Yes," she said," who is this?"

"I'm Tyler Young," he said.

The name made her blood run cold.

"How did you get my number?"

"That doesn't matter," Tyler said," I'm calling to ask you a favor."

"What do you want?"

"I want you to come to visit me," he answered," I just want to talk."

Elizabeth went silent. She had never imagined seeing this man again. This was the man who killed her mother. She knew what she was supposed to do. She was supposed to laugh, tell him to go to hell and hang up on him, but she actually considered his request.

"I need to think about it," she said," call me tomorrow, and I'll have my answer."

Elizabeth hung up on him and went back to the cafeteria. For the rest of the day, she thought about what her answer would be.

* * *

That night, Spencer ordered a pizza and he and Elizabeth started talking.

"What do you want to know?"

"Actually, I think there's something you should know," Elizabeth said," during school, I got a call from Tyler Young."

Spencer looked at her with concern.

"What did he call you for?"

"He asked me to come to visit him," Elizabeth said," and I was wondering if you would let me."

"Absolutely not," her dad said.

"Why not?"

"He murdered your mother," Spencer said," and I don't see why you what to give him any of your time."

"Maybe it will help," she said," nothing else worked."

"No. Not this. If you want to go talk to a therapist, we can find you one, but this isn't the right way to go about this," her dad said," I'm sorry."

"Did mom ever hold grudges?"

"That's different," Spencer said," just because I'm not bitter about it, doesn't mean I'm going to let him see my child."

"Maybe this is what I need," she said," maybe a part of closure is going to speak with him, and forgiving him."

"I'm sorry," Spencer said," I'm not going to change my mind on this."

Elizabeth got up and went to her room. She got on her phone and called Derek Morgan.

"Hello?"

"Derek, it's Elizabeth," she said," I need to ask you a favor."


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Elizabeth got up, and she was more nervous than ever before. She had a plan, but it wasn't going to be easy. Derek hadn't shot her down right away like her dad, but he wasn't too excited about it either. He had requested that they talk it over in person first. They planned to meet after school for coffee. She went into the kitchen, and she could still feel the tension from the night before.

"Dad, I'm sorry about last night," she said," you're the adult and I should have respected your decision."

"It's okay," Spencer said," I know it hasn't been easy for you to grow up without a mom, and you just want answers."

"My friend invited me to go get some coffee after school," Elizabeth said, "it's at that little shop across the street from my school. Can I go?"

Her dad hesitated.

"Sure," he said," but make sure you have your phone, and wait for me to pick you up. Don't try to walk home by yourself."

"Thank you, dad," she said.

Reid walked her to school, and when Elizabeth was out of his sight, she let out a sigh of relief. Her dad had no clue. All she could do was hope and pray that Derek didn't rat her out. Even if he said something to Hotch or JJ they might feel the need to tell her dad, and no offense to Penelope, but she was a terrible liar. Elizabeth went through her day and tried her best to pay attention, but she was way too nervous about what she could say to make Derek help her disobey her dad.

When the day was over, she went across the street to the coffee shop and met Derek.

"Hey," she said," did you think about what I asked?"

"Yeah, I did," Morgan said," and I need more information before I can make a decision."

"Like what?"

"What do you expect to gain from this?"

Elizabeth sighed.

"The only thing I remember about my mom is how she died. Everything else is gone, but I can remember that night like it was yesterday. Everyone said it was a botched robbery. I want to know what was so important that he had to take her out of my life. I needed a mom. My dad needed his wife. He needs to know what he destroyed," she said," I want him to spend the rest of his life in pain."

"I don't like lying to your dad," Derek said," you've already lied enough."

"I haven't lied," Elizabeth said," I told him that I was meeting a friend for coffee after school."

"You know you aren't going to get away with this," Derek said," Even if we make it to the prison without your dad finding out, he'll notice that you're gone."

"I don't care if I get punished," Elizabeth said," look if you won't help me, I'll find someone else. All I need is an adult to come with me."

Derek sighed.

"I'll take you, but you need to tell your dad where you're going, and you need to tell him if something like this is bothering you again," Derek said," and I am not deceiving him again."

"Thank you," Elizabeth said," I promise I'll never do anything like this again."

She texted her dad to come to pick her up, and Derek left before he was seen. When Elizabeth got home, she got a call from Tyler. She went to her room, and

"So? Are you coming?"

"Yeah," she said," if you want to see me, you need to add both my name and Derek Morgan to your visitor list."

"Thank you," he said," I can't wait."

Reid called her for dinner, and she hung up the phone.

"I'm going to be talking with your grandma's caseworker about her care tomorrow," he said," will you be okay by yourself?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," she said," Is everything okay with grandma?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out," Reid said.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Elizabeth went into the kitchen and found a note.

 _Elizabeth,_

 _I went to my meeting, and I didn't want to wake you. If you need something, you can ask one of the neighbors._

 _I love you, Dad_

Elizabeth felt guilty about her plan, so she found a piece of paper, and wrote her own note.

 _Dad,_

 _I'm sorry, but I'm going to visit Tyler Young. When I get back, you can ground me as long as you want_

 _Love, Elizabeth_

She grabbed some breakfast and got a text from Morgan.

 _Hey, I'm here._

She ran out the door and locked it behind her. Then she ran downstairs and met Morgan in the parking lot.

"Thank you so much for this," she said.

"If you think it will help, I'm willing to do it," he said," but when I say it's time to go, it's time to go."

"That's fine," she said," I just need a few minutes."

They talked about life on the way to the prison. They talked about school, and dating, and movies. They told jokes, listened to the radio, and just tried to pretend everything was normal.

"So a police officer pulls a guy over. and he says, 'Sir, your eyes look bloodshot, have you been drinking?'

And the man says,' officer, your eyes look glazed have you been drinking doughnuts?'"

Elizabeth smirked and laughed a little. Then they saw the sign to the prison and went silent.

"Hey," Derek said," we can turn around if you want. If we're lucky, we might get back before your dad finds out that you're gone."

"No, " Elizabeth said," let's go."

They found a parking space, and Elizabeth opened the door.

"If you need to leave, squeeze my hand Derek said," and we'll leave."

They went inside and waited in line until they had a spot at a table. There was a screen between the visitors and the prisoners, but it was low enough, that the prisoners and visitors could still shake hands. Tyler Young walked in, with a big smile on his face.

"I'm assuming you're Derek Morgan," he said," thank you for bringing her."

Derek's gaze was angry and intense. Elizabeth wasn't even on the receiving end, and she was scared.

"Sit down," he said.

The three of them sat down, and Tyler turned to Elizabeth.

"I wanted to ask you for forgiveness," he said," when I killed your mother, I was an addict. I was willing to do whatever I had to do to get my next high. I got help when I came to prison, and I've been clean for the past five years. I realized that I never had the chance to apologize to you, or your dad for what I did, and I was hoping to get to speak with him, but this will have to do. Elizabeth, I am so sorry for what I did to you and your family. Can you forgive me?"

Elizabeth paused and tried to process what he had said. Under the table, Morgan held her hand in a comforting manner, and she had her answer.

"No," she said," you didn't do this for me, or my dad, or my mom. You did it for you. You wanted me to forgive you so you could forget all about what you did, but you don't get to forget what you did. The truth is, you shot my mom, you killed her, and I hope you never have a day of peace for as long as you live."

Tyler's face turned angry.

"I tried to be nice," he said," I tried to give you the gift of ignorance. I may have pulled the trigger, but you forced my hand. Your mother was cooperating, everything was going fine until you started screaming. If you had just kept your mouth shut, she would still be alive, and I would have only served a few years in prison, instead of the rest of my life. You ruined two lives that night."

"Is that what you had to tell yourself?"

Elizabeth tried to keep a straight face, but tears were building up behind her eyes. She squeezed Derek's hand.

"That's enough," he said," we're leaving."

They got up and left quickly when they got to the car Elizabeth finally broke down.


End file.
